The Middle East.
A phrase, a region, an idea. A concept that sparks fear, fascination, and far too many headlines.

But what’s behind the clichés? Beyond the wars, the oil, the desert?

In the autumn of 2017, I set out on a journey unlike any other- to circumnavigate the entire Arabian Peninsula.
Not to make a point, or to chase danger, but to try to under the complexities of this enigmatic land.

I travelled through the ruins of ancient kingdoms and modern warzones. I Shared coffee with imams, snipers, sheikhs and smugglers. Walked across deserts where even the Bedouin said, ‘We don’t go there any more.’
I saw generosity in places branded hostile, and beauty in places the world had written off.

This is not the Arabia you’ve seen on the news.
It’s older, deeper, and more human than you might think.

ARABIA - now streaming on @channel5_tv